Closure cap for tumblers, jars and other receptacles



H. INGRAM CLOSURE CAP FOR TUMBLERS, JARS, AND OTHER RECEPTACLES Filed Oct. 24. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 u l I 1191/14/11?! INVENTOR ya/rfiy W664? ATTORNEY H. INGRAM Aug. 2, 1932.

CLOSURE CAP FOR TUMBLERS, JARS, AND OTHER REG EP'I'ACLES Filed Oct. 24,. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Hex/fr fimvmw BY ry rlllllllrllllam 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARBYINGBAM, 0F WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA Application filed October 24, 1929. Serial No. 402,238.

My invention relates to closure capsfor tumblers, jars. and other receptacles. It has for one of its objects to provide the closure with an improved vent valve responsive to 5 internal pressure so that upon an increase of'pressure within the rece tacle the valve will be opened for escape o excess of pressure and then be automatically sealed or closed under normal conditions whether the 1 abnormal internal pressure be created during the processing or sterilizing operations to which contents of the receptacles are at times subjected, or whether from other causes air is trapped in the receptacles beneath the closure cap and for which it is desirable to provide a vent so as to relieve the cap from such internal pressure as might be calculated to impair the efi'ective seal designed to be afforded by the closure cap.

The improved features in the vent-valve operative under the conditions mentioned will be hereinafter indicated for various embodiments of the invention. Another object is to provide a supplemental closure cap serviceable as a service cap after removal of the sealing cap so as to provide the housewife with a conveniently manipulated service cap to protect the original contents of the re-v I, ceptacle, or other products which may replace the original contents and thus be serviceable to the housewife in providing recep tacles for'various articles. Another object is to provide an effective seal between'the external cap and mouth of the receptacle and also between the valve and cap at the point where the vent is provided for escape of excess internal pressure.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may'hereinafter appear the invention consists in the features hereinafter. described and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and in which I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tumbler, I partly in section, showing one embodiment of the invention, the parts being in their initial position, prior to the vacuum sealing of the receptacle;

Figure 2 is a side elevation, of the upper v and showing a portion of a receptacle, in section,'on an enlarged scale, showing the parts after the vacuum sealing process, and a modification of the vent-valve;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of a 5 portion of the external cap and its sealing a V Figure 4 is a plan view of the external cap, shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a plan view of Figure 1, with 5 the external cap removed and looking down upon the internal service-cap;

Figure 6 is aview similar to Figure 2 with a modification of the vent-valve;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, a showing another modification in the ventvalve;

Figure 8 is a sectional view of parts of the service-ca and external sealing cap,

Further modification in the vent-valve; Y

Figure 9 is a plan view of F igure8, with closure cap omitted;

Figure 10 is a section through a portion of the top sealing cap and the service cap, 7 showing modification of the vent-valve.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the service cap and vent-valve of Figure 10.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawan ingsa tumbler or jar lot a. conventional form having the outer surface of its walls straight or slightly tapering downwardly and inwardly and with a substantially smooth surface, and in Figs. 6 and 7 is illustrated 5 a jar or receptacle 2 having a contracted neck 3 with an annulargroove 4 formed in the outer face of its upper portion, although the tumbler or jar may be otherwise formed.

It is preferably made of a vitreous material, such for instance as glass, although it may be made of other suitable material, and in the different forms there is illustrated a shoulder 5 formed on the inner face of the neck or mouth of the receptacle to form a seat 96 for aservice-cover or cap 6 that is of an improved form, as hereinafter more particularly described. The tumbler or jar or receptacle is provided with a sealing cap or cover 7 which is preferably formed of relatively thin aluminum, or formed of other suitable material possessing a greater or less degree of flexibility so that it may function with a degree of ilexure as hereinafter indicated. The sealing cap or closure 7 is formed practically at its periphery, facing downwardly, with a substantially inverted V-shaped groove 8 from which extends a downwardly and outwardly inclined portion 9, from which a portion 10 extends downwardly and from the lower part of which extends a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion 11 from the end of which extends a flange 12, the portions 9, 1t), 11 and 12 constituting a depending flange or apron to the closure cap. A sealing annular gasket 13, of rubber or other suitable material, is formed at its upper end with an upwardly and inwardly beveled face 14 designed to bear against the under side of the upper inclined portion 9 of the closure cap so that the upper edge of the beveled portion 14: will fit within the inverted V-shaped groove 8 of the closure cap; and the bottom of the gasket 13 is formed with a downwardly and outwardly inclined beveled face 15 with its lower outer edge normally resting upon the inclined portion ll of the apron portion of the cap as clearly indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This Fig. 25 illustrates the position of the sealing gasketlS in relation to the adjacent parts of the closure cap prior to the cap being brought to the position illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. As the cap 7 is pressed down into position over the neck of the tumbler or jar the inner face of the top of the cap is brought into position so as to rest directly upon the lip 13 of the tumbler or jar or receptacle, and the rubber gasket is deformed from its shape shown in Fig. 3 into the shape shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, with the upper edge of the gasket fitting in the inverted V-shaped groove 8 higher than and to one side of the lip of the receptacle on which the cap is seated, and with the inner face of the gasket snugly hugging the outer wall surface of the tumbler, jar or receptacle so as to make an effective seal at this point and prevent the entry of any of the products of the receptacle between the inner surface of the cap and its seat upon the lip at the mouth of the receptacle as indicated clearly in Figs. 1, 2, 6, and 7 of the drawings. This efficient seal by the gasket results from the beveled upper and lower faces of the gasket described. This improved form of sealing gasket and the vent valve hereinafter described have a joint cooperation with each other to preserve the effective seal made possible by the improved tapered sealing gasket of the closure cap by reducing to the mini- ;num liability of pressure beneath the sealing cap lifting the cap to an extent to impair the etfective sealing. This tendency is minimized by providing for venting air trapped beneath the closure cap in applying the cap to its sealing position; also by relieving excess pressure beneath the cap generated in subsequent vacuum treatment, or processing of the receptacle and its contents, or from external causes, after the cap has been applied. The more ellective the seal afforded by the closure cap sealing gasket the greater the liability of trapping air beneath the cap in application of the cap. In bringing the cap to the position shown in Fig. l of the drawings air is trapped beneath the cap in compression of the scaling gasket 13 to bring it to the condition there illustrated. The pressure of the trapped air against the under face of the cap flexes the cap upwardly at its center so as to uncover a. vent opening 16 formed in the closure cap and permit the trapped air to escape and upon its escape the recoil or reflex of the cap restores it to normal position so as to seat on the valve and close the vent opening in the cap. If an excess of pressure, from any cause, is again created beneath the closure cap the cap around t he vent opening is again flexed so as to uncover the opening and permit the excess pressure to escape and the vent opening to be again closed. This occurs automatically and periodically as often as the pressure beneath the cap increases sufficiently to flex the cap and uncover the vent opening. The very efficient seal due to the tapered edge formation of the gasket for the closure cap and the sealing contact of the cap with the top edgeor rim of the tumblers or container prevent leakage of air or contents between the rim of the container and the cap," and relief from excess pressure beneath the cap must be through the automatically controlled vent opening in the cap, and such automatic control of excess pressure beneath the cap prevents excess pressure lifting the cap along its sealing gasket, which if permitted would to that ex tent impair the efficiency of the seal. It thus appears that there is a modifying influence between the tapered formation of the cap sealing gasket and the automatic pressure-escape control not obtainable if either be employed without the presence of the other. It may be desirable at times to subject the container and its contents to a vacuum sealing well known in this particular art and also to a sterilizing or process treatment familiar to the skilled in this art. In both of these treatments, pressure is generated within the container and the excess pressure must be relieved, otherwise the closure cap is likely to be blown off or moved from its seat. This excess pressure will be relieved and its detrimental effects prevented, by the coaction of the cap tapered sealing gasket and automatic pressure relief valve before described, the action being substantially that described for relieving the pressure of air trapped in placing the closure cap in sealing position. Another advantage derived from the vent relief valve and the tapered sealing gasket of the cap, is that under normal conditions the vent valve when seated prevents any extraneous fiuids from entering the container through the valve controlled vent opening in the closure cap. One form of vent valve is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings consists of a disk 17, say of rub ber, seated upon a knob 18, and cemented or otherwise secured thereto, the knob being illustrated as formed as a part of the servicecap 6 which may be formed of glass as indicated, or other suitable material. This knob not only serves as a seat for the ventvalve, but also serves as a means, or fingergrip, for manipulating the service-cap, after the sealing or closure cap has been removed, for permitting access to the contents of the receptacle. This knob may be of polygonal or any desired configuration in cross section but isillustrated as cylindrical in form; The peripheral portion of the service-cap is preferably formed with an offset or shoulder 19 to seat uponnthe shoulder 5 on the inner face of the receptacle. Any excess of pres.- sure generated within the body of the receptacle, beneath the service-cap will find its way around the walls of the service-cap into the space beneath the sealing or closure cap and exert pressure against the under face of the cap so as-tolift it from its seat upon the vent-valve and permit the excess pressure to escape through the vent opening 16. If pressure be generated within the receptacle between the service-cap and the sealing cap by external heat, that" pressure will flex the central portion of the sealing cap so as to lift it above the vent-valve and permit such pressure to escape through the vent opening 16, and the sealing cap will automatically reseat uponlthe vent-valve when the pressure beneath it lowers and thus the vent-valve is caused to serve a usefulfunction whether it is actuated from the heat imparted to the contents of the receptacle during the sterilizing or processing operation, or whether it results from external heat creating pressure between the servicecap and sealing cap, or otherwise, in the ordinary use of the receptacle containing its sealed contents.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings, the vent-valve 17 is illustrated as formed with a plug 20 designed to fit within the vent aperture 416 which corresponds to the like aperture shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the vent-valve 17? being seated on the topof the knob '18 of the serv1ce-cap 6.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings the vent opening 16 in the sealin or closure cap 7 is illHSf trated as formed with a de ending collar or flange 20 around which is tted or seated an valvegasket in the manner surface of the closure cap and upper face of the knob 18, and forming practically knifeedges that facilitate compression of the gasket and a more effective seal when the closure cap is finally seated, the gasket under that condition appearing as shown in Fig. 6

of the drawings.

In Figure 10 of the drawings the elastic ventvalve gasket 17 is shown as in the form of a tube or tubular nipple having an upper beveled, or knife-edge, 19 and a lower bev eled, or knife-edge, 20. This elastic ventvalve encircles the knob 18, and the upper.

beveled edge 19 bears against the under face of the closure cap 7 .and the lower beveled edge 20 bears against the top of the service cap 6 as illustrated in Fig. 10, and when the closure cap is'brought into final sealing position, the vent-valve asketassumes the position shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, with the side wall of the gasket slightly bulged and the upper and lower edges of the gasket making an effective seal with the under face of the sclosure cap and top face of the service cap 6, as illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

In addition to serving as a vent-valve for relieving excess of pressure beneath the closure cap in the. manner beforestated, the tubular vent-valve also serves. to aflord-a firmer and nonslipping finger grip for manipulating the service-cap upon removal of the closure described and for automatically closing the vent upon reduction of internal pressure by resenting of the closure cap) upon the ventefore stated.

W h1le it is preferred to employ the servicecap and the elastic vent-valve with a closure cap of the character illustrated and described in which the sealin of the closure cap is effected by the elastic sealing means between the closure cap and exterior wall of the jar or container because of the resulting advantages, it will be understopd that some features of the invention, for instance, the pressure relief vent-valve and the service cap features may be used with the well known form of screw threaded attached. closure cap which because of its well known character need not be, shown and described in detail. It is also to be understood that while the details of the 125 The apron of the closure cap maybe formed with a flexible tab 21 (Fig. 7) adapted to be grasped by the fingers to rupture the apron, and break the seal in removal of the closure cap.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits what I claim is:

1. A closure for tumblers and other receptacles, comprising an external closure cap formed with a vent opening, an internal service cap, a seat formed within the receptacle for supporting the service cap, and a vent-valve disposed within the receptacle to contact with part of the service cap and also with the under surface of the closure cap about the vent opening, the closure cap having a limited flexure about the vent opening for relief of excess internal pressure within.

2. A closure for tumblers and other receptacles, comprising an external closure cap formed with a vent opening, an internal service cap, a seat formed within the recep tacle for supporting the service cap, and a vent-valve disposed within the receptacle to contact with part of the service cap and also with the under surface 01 the closure cap about the vent opening. the closure cap hav-' ing a limited flexure about the vent opening for relief of excess internal pressure within the receptacle, and a finger-piece on the service cap for manipulation of said cap on removal of the closure cap.

3. A closure for tumblers and other receptacles, comprising an external closure cap formed with a vent opening, an internal service cap, a seat formed within the receptacle for supporting the service cap, a finger-piece on the service cap for manipulation of said cap on removal of the closure cap, and a valve associated with the finger-piece and disposed in relation thereto to contact with the underface of the closure cap about its vent opening, the closure cap having a limited ilexure about the vent opening for relief of excess internal pressure within the receptacle.

4. A closure for tumblers and other receptacles, comprising an external closure cap formed with a vent opening, an internal service cap, a seat formed within the receptacle for supporting the service cap, an elastic valve disposed to contact with a part of the service cap and with the under surface of tlt e closure cap about its vent opening, the por tion of the valve about the vent opening being formed with a tapered edge to contact with the closure cap, the closure cap having a limited flexure about the vent opening for relief of excess pressure within the receptacle.

5. A closure for tumblers and other receptacles, comprising an external closure cap formed with a vent opening. an internal service cap, a seat formed within the receptacle for supporting the service cap, a valve disposed to contact with a part of the service cap and with the under surface of the closure cap about its vent opening, the portion of the valve about the vent opening and the portion which contacts with a part of the service cap being formed with a tapered edge for contact with the closure cap and part of the service cap, the closure cap having a limited fiexure about the vent opening for relief of excess pressure within the receptacle.

6. A closure for tumblers and other receptacles, comprising an external closure cap formed with a vent opening, an internal service cap, a seat formed within the receptacle for supporting the. service cap a linger-piece to the service cap formanipulation of said cap on removal of the closure cap, a tubular elastic valve mounted upon the linger-piece and having its upper edge disposed to contact with the under surface of the closure cap about its vent opening the closure cap having a limited tlexure about the vent opening for relief of excess pressure within the receptacle.

7. A closure for tmnblcrs and other receptacles, comprising an external closure'cap, an internal service cap, a seat for supporting the service cap, and a finger-piece to the service cap for manipulation of said cap on removal of the closure cap, the linger-piece being provided with a frictional-grip facing and also serving as a support for a valve controlling a vent opening in the external n testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HARRY lNGRAlvi. 

